# Pre-carbonised bowls?



## Cliffhanger (Mar 17, 2009)

Hey all,

For my first post on the forum I thought I'd start off a new topic...

New Savinelli arrived today, a billiard shaped one from the Capitol range. 

To my surprise, it has a pre-carbonised bowl.. it is a brand new pipe but the inside of it is very neatly caked in a uniform layer of carbon, which doesn't rub off to the touch, but is the texture of, well, carbon..kinda chalky. Any chemists will be familiar with activated carbon, well, this stuff is exactly what seems to be coated around the bowl. 

Having never experienced one of these before, in fact, having very limited experience with pipes in any sense, what is the general consensus on pre-carbonising bowls?

Also, do they need to be broken in as normal pipes to, or can I just go ahead and use it normally as it is already "broken in"?


----------



## RJpuffs (Jan 27, 2008)

Cliffhanger said:


> Hey all,
> 
> For my first post on the forum I thought I'd start off a new topic...
> 
> ...


The coating will help the formation of cake, but more importantly, it may help prevent overheating of the briar walls during the break-in period while there is no cake (quasi-cake, in a manner of speaking). Personally, I have no problem with the coating, some other BOTLs complain about the taste. It may give a weird taste for a few bowls but it passes. If it really bothers you, it can be sandpapered off (but I wouldn't recommend it).


----------



## WWhermit (Nov 30, 2008)

RJpuffs said:


> The coating will help the formation of cake, but more importantly, it may help prevent overheating of the briar walls during the break-in period while there is no cake (quasi-cake, in a manner of speaking). Personally, I have no problem with the coating, some other BOTLs complain about the taste. It may give a weird taste for a few bowls but it passes. If it really bothers you, it can be sandpapered off (but I wouldn't recommend it).


What he said.

Savinelli pipes have a nice carbonized bowl. Others, like Petersons, give off a terrible taste. Has to do with the fact that they "dip" the entire pipe into the stain instead of a more precise manner of staining.

I use the Savinelli pipe as is. You still need to build up a cake, but you don't run the risk of burning out the side of the bowl as easily.

WWhermit
ipe:


----------



## Cliffhanger (Mar 17, 2009)

Ahh, that's nice to know, thanks.

I think I'll give this pipe a couple of light "breaking-in" size bowls and then just go ahead and smoke it normally.


----------



## SmokinJohnny (Jan 21, 2009)

I got a Nording bent ball a couple months ago with the same kind of pre-carbon. The taste was good right off the bat without having to wait for a home grown cake.


----------



## RJpuffs (Jan 27, 2008)

Cliffhanger said:


> Ahh, that's nice to know, thanks.
> 
> I think I'll give this pipe a couple of light "breaking-in" size bowls and then just go ahead and smoke it normally.


Its better to start a brand new pipe with just 1/3 bowls, at least 10 or more times, giving it at least a day rest in between. Sip gently, go slow, don't get the fire too hot. This will let the briar break in slowly, and prevent burn-outs and soggy heels (the base of the bowl). Thereafter move to 2/3 bowls and repeat. Then finally full bowls - but be sure to smoke it down to the bottom (no soggy dottle) during break-in or it will negate all the prior hard work. Eventually, you will notice the cake starting to "catch" and the heel will remain dry and solid. After that smoke it any which way but upside down (although, that can also be done) - and your pipe will give you centuries of pleasure (if you can live that long) :bounce:


----------



## strider72 (Jan 25, 2009)

RJpuffs said:


> ...and your pipe will give you centuries of pleasure (if you can live that long) :bounce:


 "And this is Mr. RJpuffs, who is almost two centuries old. What is the reason for your longevity Mr puffs?" 
"I always breakin mypipes correctly and I am just seeing how long a pipe can last."


----------



## Blaylock-cl (Apr 28, 2006)

Here's one pipemaker's perspective on the Pre-Carb bowls. His pipes are some of my best smokers.

Ozark Mountain Briars-A Few Words About Briar


----------



## RJpuffs (Jan 27, 2008)

strider72 said:


> "And this is Mr. RJpuffs, who is almost two centuries old. What is the reason for your longevity Mr puffs?"
> "I always breakin mypipes correctly and I am just seeing how long a pipe can last."


I'm almost there on the age thing already mg:


----------



## Cliffhanger (Mar 17, 2009)

RJpuffs said:


> Its better to start a brand new pipe with just 1/3 bowls, at least 10 or more times, giving it at least a day rest in between. Sip gently, go slow, don't get the fire too hot. This will let the briar break in slowly, and prevent burn-outs and soggy heels (the base of the bowl). Thereafter move to 2/3 bowls and repeat. Then finally full bowls - but be sure to smoke it down to the bottom (no soggy dottle) during break-in or it will negate all the prior hard work. Eventually, you will notice the cake starting to "catch" and the heel will remain dry and solid. After that smoke it any which way but upside down (although, that can also be done) - and your pipe will give you centuries of pleasure (if you can live that long) :bounce:


Cheers for that, I've never broken in a carbonised bowl before, I'll keep that in mind.



Blaylock said:


> Here's one pipemaker's perspective on the Pre-Carb bowls. His pipes are some of my best smokers.
> 
> Ozark Mountain Briars-A Few Words About Briar


That's was pretty interesting reading, thanks for the contribution, I've always wondered what un-treated briar looked like, I find the patterns in a nicely polished piece strangely transfixing, like cloud watching, all the weird swirls in the grain...it's an awesome wood.


----------



## jfserama (Mar 26, 2009)

What does a pre-carbonized bowl look like? I don't know if mine is pre-carbonized or not. (It's a Medico Cavalier... probably not a very good pipe, but I didn't want to get anything too expensive to start off)


----------



## Cliffhanger (Mar 17, 2009)

Does the inside of the bowl look like black, or made of wood?


----------



## jfserama (Mar 26, 2009)

It's black


----------



## Cliffhanger (Mar 17, 2009)

Does it look like black chalk? and was it like that when you got it?


----------



## jfserama (Mar 26, 2009)

I wouldn't describe it as chalky, it has a very slight shine to it. Yes, that's how I got it... haven't smoked it yet


----------



## Cliffhanger (Mar 17, 2009)

Well, without a very broad experience, mine is a clear layer of thin carbon, it has a dull, slightly chalky texture, as I say it looks like black chalk but doesn't rub off at all to the touch or anything. You can very clearly see that it has been coated with this stuff rather than it's part of the grain of the wood or any kind of varnish or whatever, my guess is yours isn't dude.


----------



## jfserama (Mar 26, 2009)

Thanks! I've heard so much talk about carbonized vs non-carbonized, but didn't really know what the difference was. Now I do. You learn something new every day, especially if you're a newbie (like me).


----------



## Mad Hatter (Apr 8, 2007)

I've had several precarbed bowls and I've always left it in the pipe (some guys sand it out). Its never bothered me (in many cases its supposed to be powdered charcoal made into a paste and then applied) but I did have one Peterson that tasted absolutely awful for the first 7 or so bowls before I got the bad taste smoked out, covered over or whatever. Sometimes pipe smoking is work.


----------

